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(No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.4

S. W. DOUGLASS.

PROCESS-0F AND APPARATUS EUR THE FORMATIDN OF DEEP WELLS.

No. 290.546. -k Pgtented Deo. 18, 1883.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. W, DOUGLASS.

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FR THE FORMATION 0F DEEP WELLS.

l No. 290546 I Patent-ed Deo. 18, 1883.

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SAMUEL W'. DOUGLASS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'FO JARVIS B.

EDSON, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE- FORMATlON OF DEEP WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 290,546, dated 'December 18, 1883.

Application filed October 24, 1883. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom if; may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. DoUeLAss, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for the Formation of Deep Wells, ot which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to that class of inivproveinents in which wells or drill-holes are to be made in rock formations overlaid with quicksand, sand, gravel, marl, die., by passing pipes or tubes through such intervening materials under the aid of a continuous or substantially continuous stream of water, under'sunicientpressure, discharged at the lower end of the said tubing, as described in United States Patent No. 277,695, and dated May l5, 1883, and issued to Jarvis B. Edson, whereby the materials encountered are moved, and the wellpipe allowed to descend until rock or resistance is reached requiring the operation of drilling. To provide for and facilitate such drilling operation within said tubes is one feature of this invention, although additional featurcs consist in combining a peculiar kind of split sleeve-coupling having valves, packing-boxes, glands, rods, Src., with each section of tubing in such a manner that additional sections of pipe may be added from time to time as the same settles into the hole, and without stopping the pressure of continuously -lowing water through said pipe, the said split coupling allowing drilling or boring tools to be operated within said pipe during the continuance of such flow of water; and the invention further consists in combining a peculiar valve in the top of a drilling or boring barrel, so as to allow the water to pass down through the saine by its waterays from the drill-rods, but not to pass from the boringtubes or barrels up into said drill-rod, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The invention further consists in combining with the sleeve-couplings tie-rods `or turnbuclrles, for the purpose also hereinafter set forth; and the invention further consists in combining with the split sleeve-coupling suitable water-conduits and a three-way cock for operating the saine.

In the accompanying drawings, Sheets l and 2, like letters of reference represent similar parts.

In Sheet l, Figure l represents a single length of pipe partially inserted in the ground and provided with a screw-coupling, B, at its upper end, and secured by a split sleeve-coupling, O. The coupling O has three branches, D E G. D and E have pacltingglands for receiving and securing the pipe or tube A and F. The branch G receives water from the conduit H and three-Way cock I. The corninon coupling, B, rests on lugs or shoulders formed onthe sleeve-coupling C. K represents a double-faced hinged valve, which seats at L L and M'M. The inlet to cock I is at J, where it receives the water, under pressure, from pump or other source of supply. The branch Q delivers to the split coupling C. Hand-lever U is for directing the flow of water. The split coupling-sleeve C is similar in all respects to the split sleeve-coupling C. F represents a length of pipe in position to be screwed intov coupling B. N represents tierods and turn-buclrles (the latter not shown) for connecting the two split couplings C and O.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section showing bearings A and A for the tie-rods N N, and b ZJ the joint made by the two halves of the split coupling and its connecting-bolts. Fig. 2 also shows c c, the two halves of the split glands, and d d d, the'bolts for securing said glands.

In Sheet 2, Fig. 3 represents a top or plan view ofthe gland V,With the drill-rod inserted.

Fig. 4 represents the upper part of the split sleevecoupling O, inclosing the pipe F at its upper end, having inserted in it a boring tool, consisting of bit e, boring-barrelj, with check -valve g, drill-rod h with flush jointcouplings i. The upper end of drill-rod his surrounded by the packing-box :t and gland j.

Fig. 5 represents the upper part of the split sleeve-coupling G, surrounding the pipe F at its upper end, which has inserted in it the drilling-bit, part of the cable or rope Z, and part of the Working barrel or gland m, the barrel containing and clamping the rope Z, and being surrounded by the packing and gland o2. The apparatus tlus described is not only intended for obtaining pure water by washing, boring, or drilling deep, wells, but is also adapted to and useful for the purpose of reach-` IOC ing and obtaining' gas and oil from naturall sources of supply found in the earth. `It is also useful for sinking pipes to be used as working-barrels 7 for pumping, or into which suitable pumping apparatus may be lowered and located for deep-well pumping, whether such kpumping be for obtaining oil or water.

The operation is as follows: The split sleevecoupling C, being placed about the end of a piece of pipe and coupling thereon, so that the coupling shall rest on the lugs described, is bolted together and the packing-gland D set up. I/Vater connection is then established through branch G, conduits H, and three-way cock J, from the source of water-supply under pressure. rIhe pipe so provided is raised into position and water forced from the pump (or otherwise) through the valve I into the sleevecoupling G, thereby moving valve K against its upper,\horizontal seat, L L, and passing down an' but at the bottom of the pipe A, thus reni/,ving the material and allowing the pipe A to settle into the hole so formed and ready for the addition of more pipe. This is accomplished by providing a pipe as in the iirst instance, and having placed about its coupling and end a split sleeve-coupling like the one previously used, and, having made its packing-gland tight, it is to be hoisted into position directly over the last split coupling used. When in position and the lower end entered into the coupling previously used, the tie-rods N N are to be placed in the holes provided for them in the fianges of the two split sleeve-couplings and set tight. rIhe packingboxes being made tight and the conduit for water being established, as before, with the remaining outlet from the three-way cock I, the lever U is shifted so as to change the direction of the incoming water and cause it to ascend and then descend through the split sleevecoupling and the pipe last added. Changing the direction 0f the water, as just described, tightens the upper swinging valve against its horizontal seat and the lower swinging valve against its vertical seat. The tie-rods N N are to be contracted by running down the nuts, (unless turn-buckles are used,) so as to enter the threaded end .of the additional pipe into the top of the common pipe-coupling, B, after which it is readily revolved and screwed home, 7 forming a complete coupling together of the two lengths of pipe, and admitting of the removal of the tie-rods and split sleeve-coupling device, after which the lowering operation is t0 be resumed and the split coupling just released, attached to another length of pipe and placed in readiness to form the third section, and so the operation of adding the `requisite number of lengths of pipe becomes a continuous one, and without stopping the downward within the pipe. Thus it will be seen that the continuous pipe will be readily lowered until large bowlders or loose rock are encountered, in which case it becomes necessary to insert a boring or drilling tool, the operation of which is as follows: Having the two split sleevecouplings C C in position and connected by tie-rods, as hereinbefore described, water is caused to pass through the lowermost one, the action of which closes the swinging valve in the lower one against its upper horizontal seat. rlhe valve K can now be removed from the upper split sleeve-coupling and the boringtools, consisting of bit e, barrel f, drill-rod h, reduced stuffing-boxj, all as shown in Fig. 4, Sheet 2, inserted. The three-way cock I can now be shifted, so as to cause the water to descend by the upper split sleeve-coupling, and the pipe made continuous and the lower split sleeve-eouplin g removed or not, as desired and occasion requires. The water now passes down 'the well-pipe and up outside in greater or less quantities, as desired; but in no'. event can the water pass up through the drill-rod, owing to the check-valve shown at g, Sheet 2, Fig. 4.

Sufficient additional lengths of drill-rods can be attached and lowered through the gland and pipe, when boring machinery can be attached and set in operation. If the obstructions prove to be only a bowlder or small mass of rock, the hole bored through it is to be reamed out large enough to allow the pipe t0 pass freely down, when the drilling apparatus is to be removed by reversing the operation of inserting them, and the washing-down process resumed; otherwise the boring will be continued, as desired.

During the process of construction described it is of vital importance that the stream be kept flowing down inside the pipe for keeping the tools from becoming choked with sand, Sie., and also to prevent the earth, &c. from settling about the exterior surface of the pipe and preventing their further movement, should it become necessary to do so. In placing jars or drop-drills into the pipes the operation is the same, excepting that the sliding clampinggland m, Sheet 2, Fig. 5, must be provided and so adjusted as to move with the cable or rope and protect it as it rises or falls. Vhen the pipes have reached the solid formation and have been properly `joined thereto, the water may be` partially or wholly shut down, when the pipes will serve as a casing within which ordinary drilling operations maybe conducted, either with or without the aid ofthe split sleevecouplings referred to.

I am aware that holes have been washed out ICO IIO

in sand, and I am also aware that wells have been formed by driving down tubing in and particularly when an occasional bowlder or roch has to he encountered.

What I claim isl. The combination oi two three-waysplit sleeve-couplings, C C, with two or more lengths of pipe, as and for the purposes specified.

2. The two three-way-split sleeve-couplings C C, each having suitable water-conduits, in combination with two or more lengths oi' pipe, as and for the purposes specified.

3. The two three-way-split sleeve-couplings C C, each having suitable water-conduits, in combination with two or more lengths of pipe, said sleeve-couplings being coupled together with suitable tie-rods, as and for the purposes described.

4. The withindescribed method of con struct-ing wells, consisting in forcing a iluid through a pipe against the substance to be removed, then, while continuing the ilow of the duid, coupling a section of pipe to the. pipe first used, and afterward changing the initial inflow of the iiuid from the first into the second section of pipe, from whence it is passed into the first section, and repeating such steps with successive sections until the desired end is reached, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In the construction of wells under a continuous flow of a iiuid, the method of constructing a line of casing or tubing for the passage of the fluid, consisting in connecting two sections of pipe by a coupling provided with an inlet for the fluid and a valve for closing the saine, and securing to the upper end ofthe lower section of pipe, between it and the first named coupling, an internally-threaded coupling, having an inner projection ilush with the inner wall of the pipe, then closing the iiuidinlet in the coupling and siraultane4 ouslpT directing the fluid-into the upper section of the pipe, and then, while the fluid is flowing through the saine into the lower section of the pipe, forcing the lower end of the upper section down into the said second or intermediate coupling against the projection in said coupling, whereby a connection between the two sections of pipe is eiiected without stop ping the iiow of the fluid and without internal obstructing projections, substantially as set forth.

6. 'Ihe method of constructing wells oonsisting in drilling through a pipe, the substance to be removed, and at the saine time maintaining a continuous downward flow of a Jfluid through said pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of the pipe, the drilling orboring device therein, means for maintaining a downward flow of a fluid through said pipe, and a Valve to prevent the escape of the fluid throughithe drilling device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL Il". DOUGLASS.

,INitnessesz J B. Ensor?, S. Pnooron THAYER. 

